Treatment of ores.



UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW LEWIS DEAN, or QUEENSTOWN, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA, ,ASSIGNOR 'ro'rnn MOUNT LYELL'MINING AND RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED, OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

TREATMENT or ones.

no. 914,391. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed July 3, 1907. Serial No. 381,983.

To 021 rzphom'it may concern: 1

Be it known that 1, ANDREW LEWIS DEAN a subject of the King of Great Britain in .u

' Ireland, residing at Queenstown, in the are-to hand in a more or less finely divided or s as ore-fines from mining,

or in small particles, such concentrates from wet or dry concentration processes, flue-dust and other fine grained powdery products from smelting, etc., and which it is im ossible or unpractical or inconvenient to subject to further metallurgical treatment in that physical or mechanical condition.

The invention consists in the utilization of the calorific values inherent in such natural sulfid (or arsenid) ores, or metallurgical products containing more or less suliids (or arsenids) with the object of chan ing their physical condition from' that of t e objectionable fine'state of division intoa compact mass or masses, without, at the same time, sensibly changing their chemical composition. The product resulting from the process is specially intended not to possess or show a greater state of oxidation of any of its contents than issuitable for its subsequent metallurgical treatment in any 'manner requiring the presence of a practically undiininished proportion of sulfids (or arsenids). for-its'success, such as matte smelting, pyritic or yrite smelting, etc. The utilization of the cat values is efiected by the com bustion of a portion of the natural fuels contained in the substances to an extent just pulverulent state,

, sufficient to cause a partial or semi-fusion of some of the constituents, so that the result. will be an agglomerated mass, or clinker.

It is-necessary that the charge or mixture should, to begin with, contain suflicient natural or artificial sulfids (or arsenids) of the metals to allow of incipient fusion or agglomeration at a low heat.

easily and to continuously support the extent ofcombustion required, and to produce the desired agglomerating or hitting effect. a

The agglomerated or clinkered mass will con sistprincipally of suliids of the metals inthe former, accompanied by a subordinate proportion of oxids and sulfates of the metals.

The operation may he conducted'in any vessel of a shape and size suitable for the purpose, and from which the agglomerated contents may be subsequently discharged in a simple manner, and into which atmos pheric air (with or Without steam) may be admitted? either undernatural or artificial draft or blast, and with the requisite low degree of pressure, also in suflicient quantity, and in such a manner distributed throughout the mass and will penetrate same equally, so as to maintain a sufficiently thorough and rapid combustion of the sulfids (or arsenids) to an extent adethan accompanies this action, or a thorough oxidation, with or without slagging, is notintended, the final object being not a chemteration of the substances treated, asa preparation for more effective subsequent treatment, such as in blast furnaces. I

The operation is conveniently carried out in a pot-shaped or conical vessel of'cast iron. The bottom of the opening to which a blast pipe may be attached from the outside. The inner bottom portion of thevessel is covered by means of a perforated metal plate, forming a false bottom, which serves tov distribute the blast uniformly. throughout the charge.

The method of o oration consists in igniting a small quantlty of kindling or small wood, or other carbonaceous fuel, on top of the perforated has become thoroughly ignited and the fire volved, or of silicates of same, but preferably that the air is evenly vessel is fitted with anquate for producing the heatnecessary to ical, but merely a mechanical or physical al- I false bottom, then turnin .on Q a gentle (air or steam) blast untll the km ng into the vessel.

position of the mixture will depend either tions of same are so regulated, that the firewhich breaks through the mass towards the surface is forced to burn as uniformly as possible throughout the mass. As soon as this becomes apparent the pot or vessel is filled up rapidly with the balance of the charge, the additions being so regulated with the use of simple tools that any irregular breaking through of the fire is prevented, in order that an even fritting or clinkering may proceed throughout the mass. The fritting or agglomeratin action starts at the place of ignition an throughout the charge as regularly as possible,bindingits constituents together. Whenever the fire fully reaches the surface of the charge and appears to have penetrated the mass uniformly, the blast is turned off and the contents of the vessel may be discharged and cooled. They will be found well fritted together into one lump and to be altered into a massive yet. porous condition, without special chemical change of composition.

- It is serviceable to have all-of the materials used small or fine enough to pass through a screen with quarter inch holes, and they should be thoroughly mixed before charging The original chemical comproceeds upward eraser upon its .derivation or u on considerations governing its proposed su sequent treatment after agglomeration. Aside from these con nect'ions the chemical composition can vary within the widest possible limits, the main point involved in a chemical respect, with regard to the behavior in the vessel, being, that the mixture shall be, as a whole, sufli: ciently easily fusible to allow the agglomeration to take place.

Having now described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v The method of preparing fines of natural mineral sulfids, or arsenids, for metallurgical treatment in a blast furnace,'which consists in screening the fines and thoroughly mixing them, then charging a ortion thereof over some carbonaceous fue which has become thoroughly ignited in a suitablefurnace, then after said charging portion has become thoroughly ignited, charging in the remain der of the fines, andcontinuing combustion,

until the fire has penetrated the mass uniformly, the resultant mass being then removed from the furnace, and broken up to suitable sizes for further treatment in ablast furnace.

In testimony whereof I have signed'my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW LEWIS DEAN.

l/Vitnesses:

O. EATON. BROWN, V. ALOMES. 

